Interhemispheric ionospheric coupling at the American sector during low solar activity. II - Modelling

A physical-numerical model of the coupled system ionosphere/plasmasphere/magnetically-conjugated-ionosphere is presented and applied to a corotating tube of plasma at L = 1.5 in the American sector (Cuba). Numerical simulations are carried out for low solar activity and quiet geomagnetic conditions. Observational data of Faraday content and ionosonde measurements of both solstices of 1976 (Jakowski et al., 1983) are compared with calculations using different patterns of neutral horizontal winds. Reasonable meridional wind patterns yield a seasonal pattern in the plasmaspheric tube content. During the December solstice the higher tube content and the convenient behavior of the meridional neutral winds in both hemispheres causes more intense nighttime fluxes into the winter ionosphere.